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Have you people who didn't get keys tried clicking on the link in your email again? I received the link on Sunday which, when I clicked on it, took me to the GMG page telling me I hadn't voted yet (but don't worry, "your name is on the list"). 24 hours later (Monday night), I clicked on the same link, in the same 24 hour old email, and this time it worked and I got my key through straight after.

Have you people who didn't get keys tried clicking on the link in your email again? I received the link on Sunday which, when I clicked on it, took me to the GMG page telling me I hadn't voted yet (but don't worry, "your name is on the list"). 24 hours later (Monday night), I clicked on the same link, in the same 24 hour old email, and this time it worked and I got my key through straight after.

Have you people who didn't get keys tried clicking on the link in your email again? I received the link on Sunday which, when I clicked on it, took me to the GMG page telling me I hadn't voted yet (but don't worry, "your name is on the list"). 24 hours later (Monday night), I clicked on the same link, in the same 24 hour old email, and this time it worked and I got my key through straight after.

Thanks, this worked for me just now. Also, GMG is probably my favorite place to by games and it's pretty cool that they're giving away a free game for practically nothing. I can't believe people are seriously whining because you had to fill out a 5 minute survey and there were glitches in their system for delivering the games. Obviously it wasn't some kind of deliberate scheme. #firstworldproblems

I really don't know why you make out Reddit as this big new Boogeyman. It's the whole of the gaming internet and it will not say no to free games on Steam no less.

Wasn't aware anyone was making Reddit out as a bogeyman (at least, for this). Hell, Reddit is my preferred source FOR video game deals.

But it also makes things like "We want to reward our customers and fans" almost impossible because any good deal will be posted there (yay) and immediately pounced upon by The Internet (boo). And then you have the exploiters (although, Reddit's r/gamedeals has MUCH fewer of the "I'm gonna buy twenty copies to sell later" assholes that seem to be the entire population of the CheapAssGamers community) who ruin it for everyone.

Steam: Gundato
PSN: Gundato
If you want me on either service, I suggest PMing me here first to let me know who you are.

Wasn't aware anyone was making Reddit out as a bogeyman (at least, for this). Hell, Reddit is my preferred source FOR video game deals.

But it also makes things like "We want to reward our customers and fans" almost impossible because any good deal will be posted there (yay) and immediately pounced upon by The Internet (boo). And then you have the exploiters (although, Reddit's r/gamedeals has MUCH fewer of the "I'm gonna buy twenty copies to sell later" assholes that seem to be the entire population of the CheapAssGamers community) who ruin it for everyone.

Yes, people can gripe all they want, we're in a rather odd place. Gaming's audience is stupidly massive. The number of people who would jump on this sort of thing is simply too much greater than the normal server load of GMG that it's rather difficult to a) judge what it will be and b) prepare for it. I suppose they could just never do this kind of promotion but ... in theory it should be possible to get things balanced. Better than that, making servers cheaper to run/rent is going to cut down on how often this sort of thing happens immensely be increasing the pay-off for being over-prepared. Of course for that to happen, we need to cut down on energy costs which is something of a problem at the moment.

I think of [the Internet] as a grisly raw steak laid out on a porcelain benchtop in the sun, covered in chocolate hazelnut sauce. In the background plays Stardustís Music Sounds Better With You. Thereís lots of fog. --tomeoftom

Yes, people can gripe all they want, we're in a rather odd place. Gaming's audience is stupidly massive. The number of people who would jump on this sort of thing is simply too much greater than the normal server load of GMG that it's rather difficult to a) judge what it will be and b) prepare for it. I suppose they could just never do this kind of promotion but ... in theory it should be possible to get things balanced. Better than that, making servers cheaper to run/rent is going to cut down on how often this sort of thing happens immensely be increasing the pay-off for being over-prepared. Of course for that to happen, we need to cut down on energy costs which is something of a problem at the moment.

I think the issue is mostly the exploiters and the number of keys they have available. The exploiters can really hammer a server, and considering that "The Reddit Hug of Death" is basically an accidental DoS attack already, that doesn't help things.

I dunno, maybe I am a cynic, but I think the only viable solution is to just not have these kinds of giveaways anymore and to instead only offer things to existing customers (akin to GMG's periodic "Hey, thanks for buying shit, have a coupon" emails). It makes growth a lot harder and you'll still have the entitled pricks who scream about how it isn't fair, but it will at least minimize server death.

Steam: Gundato
PSN: Gundato
If you want me on either service, I suggest PMing me here first to let me know who you are.

I think the issue is mostly the exploiters and the number of keys they have available. The exploiters can really hammer a server, and considering that "The Reddit Hug of Death" is basically an accidental DoS attack already, that doesn't help things.

I dunno, maybe I am a cynic, but I think the only viable solution is to just not have these kinds of giveaways anymore and to instead only offer things to existing customers (akin to GMG's periodic "Hey, thanks for buying shit, have a coupon" emails). It makes growth a lot harder and you'll still have the entitled pricks who scream about how it isn't fair, but it will at least minimize server death.

That doesn't sound overly cynical. They probably shouldn't do this sort of thing, since it doesn't seem to help them much one way or the other since it didn't work and then people got upset about it. That said it confuses me that people are mad at GMG.

I think of [the Internet] as a grisly raw steak laid out on a porcelain benchtop in the sun, covered in chocolate hazelnut sauce. In the background plays Stardustís Music Sounds Better With You. Thereís lots of fog. --tomeoftom

If we're going to play the "it's not a big thing in the scale of the world" argument we can shutdown all gaming forums and - indeed - 90% of all discussion on the Internet.

Everything we've ever talked about here is pointless when compared to slavery/torture/death/religion/conservatism - despite that I read 'exploit' as 'take advantage of people' and that's exactly what GMG and CVG did here.

Scuse me for raising a gaming-related issue in a gaming forum tho - I realise I should be discussing the evils of the world (and believe me I know stuff which could curl your eyebrows).

Seriously tho, if I came to your house and said "push this car 500m and I'll give you £20" and you did it and I said "call me in 24 hours for your £20" and you did that and I said "wait 24 more hours for your £20" and so you waited and then I said "sorry - too late sucker", would you be peeved at all??

Seriously tho, if I came to your house and said "push this car 500m and I'll give you £20" and you did it and I said "call me in 24 hours for your £20" and you did that and I said "wait 24 more hours for your £20" and so you waited and then I said "sorry - too late sucker", would you be peeved at all??

After all - you lost nothing really, did you?

So clicking a few radial choices is equivalent to pushing a car half a kilometer?

If we must go with the real world metaphor, even though this isn't a hard concept to follow to begin with, it would be more akin to the following: I get drunk and say "If you can guess my weight correctly, I'll let you punch me in the stomach". Unfortunately, I don't realize that it just takes one person to get it right before the entire bar knows. And now I have a huge line of people beating the shit out of me. So I say "Alright, give me a few minutes to catch my breath". I do so, then we go back to beating me to death. Eventually, I just leave during one of my brief breaks, and the next night I say "Yeah, if you haven't already beaten the crap out of me, you don't get to do it anymore"

Steam: Gundato
PSN: Gundato
If you want me on either service, I suggest PMing me here first to let me know who you are.

Rise of the Elves is essentially an Expandalone for D2. Gallean's Return contains the base game - The Dark Prophecy - plus the two hard-as-nails expansion packs - Servants of Dark for the Undead and Legions of the Damned (demons) factions, Guardians of Light for the Empire and Mountain Clans (dwarves) factions. Definitely go for Gallean's Return over Rise of the Elves. For one thing you get four races with four corresponding, separate campaigns to play with in the base game alone. RotE is just elves, who feature in D2:GR as a third party which may be neutral, friendly (these are the worst missions) or aggressive.

Disciples 2 itself is a wonderful game. It can run on a toaster yet has a nice look to it. The combat is turn-based in the style of HOMM or King's Bounty with parties lead by a leader unit (who can level up and be carried between missions) roaming the map, fighting or exploring as they go. However, there is no movement during combat in D2 and the maximum number of units in a party is 6 (to fill 6 spaces, and some units can take 2 spaces, and a leader needs to level up before being able to have the full 5 spaces at their disposal). This makes it almost a puzzle game at times, with you scrutinising chances to hit, poison, petrify, paralyze for each unit, along with the damage they cause, their initiative, who they are likely to target, who can be placed in guard mode etc. The system may initally feel restrictive but it allows for far more depth that I found in any of the other types of games. D2 is often all about the margins, and quicksaving will be your friend until you get into the swing of things.

Other than that, the stories are entertaining and attempt to interweave (although I think the Empire and Legions ones are mutually exclusive), and there is a tonne of replayability.

So clicking a few radial choices is equivalent to pushing a car half a kilometer?

I'll be brutally honest, I'd rather push a car that far than register with some websites and answer stupid questions - and I've pushed enough cars, and registered on enough websites, to make that choice with my eyes wide open :)

I'll be brutally honest, I'd rather push a car that far than register with some websites and answer stupid questions - and I've pushed enough cars, and registered on enough websites, to make that choice with my eyes wide open :)

But that puts you in a very different position from many people. Moving a car half a kilometer takes you about as much time as the survey assuming you move at the average human walking speed (maybe a little less?), but it takes considerably more energy. You've physically lost something substantial. If you can't move at the average human walking speed it takes considerably more time. If you move it at at the average human running speed, you're accelerating it and exerting a TON of energy. Whether that matters to you personally is, well, personal. Either you don't feel very inconvenienced by pushing a car 500 meters or you do. Let's be more fair: A company asked you to do something very easy, that some people might not want to do, but other people will find trivial. Push a car 500 meters, fill out some forms, whatever. The point is, they asked you to do something that wasn't very difficult compared to things that would generate enough cash to purchase the games even on an extreme discount. Something that take minutes of your time and requires very little physical exertion.

Gundato's example was delightful, but here's one I think is most accurate--filling out real life forms! Step up one and all, fill out this survey, sign up for out mailing list, and we'll give you a free gift-bag and enter you in a drawing for a giftcard at our store! I actually did exactly this at an REI recently.

If I got there, filled out the form, and then was told that shit, they were out of gift bags, but keep checking ... so I browsed the store checking back every now and then eventually to be told they'd call me tomorrow if they got any more giftbags from HQ ... I can't say I'd be peeved, no. Even if they never called. If I cared, I'd call and check. If they said "sorry, we've stopped the thing we're sorry" ... nope. I still don't think I'd be peeved. I've been in similar situations and it hasn't bugged me. Stuff for almost no work is basically free stuff; not getting it just means I barely wasted any time and barely wasted any effort for no reason which in turn just means I'd be less likely to care in the future.

That said, if you're just disappointed, I'm not confused; it just means I'm, at the absolute most, barely more chill about this sort of thing than you are. I'm sure you're barely more chill than me about other things. I'm confused by the angry people all over forums and such.

Last edited by gwathdring; 16-10-2013 at 03:20 AM.

I think of [the Internet] as a grisly raw steak laid out on a porcelain benchtop in the sun, covered in chocolate hazelnut sauce. In the background plays Stardustís Music Sounds Better With You. Thereís lots of fog. --tomeoftom